Archives for January 26, 2007

‘Miller was 21 and entering his junior year when he was drawn to Izzo. The goalie was searching for ways to deal with the pressures that came after he was named college hockey’s MVP, and the expectations of fans wondering why he couldn’t get a shutout every game. Who better to turn to than Izzo, who had just led the Spartans to their third straight Final Four appearance, including 2000, when they won the national title.’

‘The Sabres face the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight in Nationwide Arena with a power play that’s tied for 23rd in the league at 15.8 percent. In other words, only six teams are worse. The Sabres are 3 for 26 in the past six games, and they’ve won only two of them.’

‘”I feel pretty good. I can’t lie to you, I don’t feel great,” Tallinder said. “Do I feel good enough to play? We’ll see [tonight].”‘

‘The Sabres have won the last two against Columbus after starting 0-3-1.’

Jackets brace for lethal Sabres (Columbus Dispatch)

Game day scorecard (Columbus Dispatch)

Buffalo (33-12-4) at Columbus (18-25-5) (AP)

Briere, Sabres look to start second half on winning note (Sportsticker)

BriereBuffalo Sabres (33-12-4) at Columbus Blue Jackets (18-25-5) (The Sports Network)

Game notes (BlueJackets.com)

Game # 50: Buffalo @ Columbus (SabresFans.com)

‘”Today, we’re labourers, psychologists and babysitters. They call me a father figure, and I guess I can do it all. My job, as (former Sabres coach and general manager) Scotty Bowman told me long ago, is to eliminate the stuff that bothers the players, to make sure that they have everything they need to perform to the best of their ability.”‘

‘Briere actually thought he might be done as an NHLer when the Coyotes waived him in 2001 and actually considered moving to Europe to continue his career. He didn’t and two years later, Phoenix traded him to Buffalo, where he has blossomed into one of the top players on one of the league’s top teams, and has become its co-captain.’

‘Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff and Nashville’s Barry Trotz are the league’s two most-tenured coaches — and their teams are tops in their respective conferences.’

‘Jochen Hecht is hopeful to join the line-up Friday evening in the team’s first game back from the All-Star break, and Henrik Tallinder is back on the ice. Tallinder wouldn’t say whether he’d play against Columbus, but did say he isn’t 100 percent. Jiri Novotny missed practice with a lingering left ankle injury.’

‘The less American-ization of the NHL, the better.’